Brown was 25 years old and was a linebacker on the Cowboys' practice squad.

The accident happened about 2 a.m. Saturday, shortly before the Cowboys were to board a plane to head to their Sunday afternoon game against the Cincinnati Bengals, reports CBS News.

Police say Josh Brent was speeding when his Mercedes hit a curb and flipped over. When officers arrived at the scene, they say Brent was dragging Brown from the vehicle, which had caught fire, according to CBS.

Brent and Brown were teammates at the University of Illinois. It was at Illinois where Brent previously pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge three years ago. In that case, Brent also reportedly missed a 10 a.m. booking session because he was drunk, CBS News reports. Brent was ultimately sentenced to 60 days in jail, two years of probation, and 200 hours of community service for that drunken driving incident.

If Brent is convicted of intoxication manslaughter for killing his teammate, the nose tackle will likely face much more serious penalties than what he faced as a student at Illinois. Intoxication manslaughter is considered a second degree felony, and Brent could face up between two and 20 years in prison if convicted, reports CBS.

Given his previous history with drunken driving and the consequences of this most recent alleged drunken driving episode, Brent could expect a penalty closer to 20 years than two. He will need a good DUI defense attorney to either establish affirmative defenses or work on a favorable plea deal.

Brent was booked into jail, but was released on $500,000 bail, according to Reuters. Brent's initial court date has not yet been set.

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Tarnished Twenty is a view of sports from a legal perspective, addressing how the law impacts athletes, teams and the sports industry at all stages and levels. The FindLaw Sports Law Blog features sports law news and info about sports figures in trouble with the law. FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty Blog takes its name from the original and infamous "Findlaw's Football Tarnished Twenty," a ranking system retired in 2000 that raised awareness of big-time college football's troubled relationship with the law. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.